LEVEL SEVEN Length of the examination: Examination Fee: 30 minutes Please consult our website for the schedule of fees. www.conservatorycanada.ca Co-requisite: Successful completion of the following written examination is required for the awarding of the Level SEVEN Practical Certificate. THEORY 3 REQUIREMENTS & MARKING Requirement Total Marks REPERTOIRE SELECTION #1 10 REPERTOIRE SELECTION #2 10 REPERTOIRE SELECTION #3 10 REPERTOIRE SELECTION #4 10 SUPPLEMENTARY 8 TECHNICAL TESTS 16 SIGHT READING Rhythm Patterns Singing 3 7 AURAL TESTS 10 IMPROVISATION 8 BACKGROUND INFORMATION 8 TOTAL MARKS 100 PIECES Candidates must be prepared to perform four pieces from the repertoire list provided. Pieces may all be chosen from the same category, or different categories at the discretion of the teacher and the student. The use of a microphone for jazz selections at this level is mandatory. For all other repertoire choices, the use of a microphone is optional. See the syllabus overview for details. MUSICAL THEATRE ANTHOLOGY SOPRANO Green Finch and Linnet Bird (Sweeny Todd) My White Knight (The Music Man) ANTHOLOGY SOPRANO And This Is My Beloved (Kismet) Unusual Way (In A Very Unusual Way) (Nine) ANTHOLOGY SOPRANO VOLUME 3 In His Eyes (Jekyll and Hyde) Think of Me (The Phantom of the Opera) ANTHOLOGY SOPRANO VOLUME 4 The Steps of the Palace (Into the Woods) Your Daddy s Son (Ragtime) 47
ANTHOLOGY MEZZO-SOPRANO/BELTER Send In The Clowns (A Little Night Music) THE MUSICAL THEATRE SINGERS ANTHOLOGY MEZZO-BELTER Another Hundred People (Company) ANTHOLOGY MEZZO-SOPRANO VOLUME 3 Don't Rain On My Parade (Funny Girl) Rose's Turn (Gypsy) ANTHOLOGY MEZZO-SOPRANO/BELTER VOLUME 4 I Know the Truth (Aida) Heaven Help My Heart (Chess) ANTHOLOGY TENOR Love, I Hear (A Funny Thing Forum) On The Street Where You Live (My Fair Lady) ANTHOLOGY TENOR Anthem (Chess) The Music Of The Night (The Phantom of the Opera) This Is The Moment (Jekyll and Hyde) Winter's On The Wing (The Secret Garden) ANTHOLOGY TENOR VOLUME 3 Go The Distance (Disney s Hercules) Wonderful (Wicked) ANTHOLOGY TENOR VOLUME 4 Fortune Favors the Brave (Aida) ANTHOLOGY BASS/BARITONE If Ever Would I Leave You (Camelot) Everybody Says Don't (Anyone Can Whistle) Marry Me A Little (Company) Ol' Man River (Show Boat) ANTHOLOGY BARITONE/BASS Stars (Les Miserables) ANTHOLOGY BARITONE/BASS VOLUME 4 Shouldn t I Be Less in Love With You ( I Love You, You re Perfect, Now Change) It s Love (Wonderful Town) THE CONTEMPORARY SINGING ACTOR WOMEN S EDITION Good Morning Baltimore (Hairspray) Come to Your Senses (Tick Tick Boom) THE CONTEMPORARY SINGING ACTOR MEN S EDITION Dancin Fool (Copacobana) Quasimodo (When Pigs Fly) THE CONTEMPORARY SINGING ACTOR WOMEN S EDITION I Can Hear the Bells (Hairspray) A New Life (Jekyll and Hyde) I m Not Afraid of Anything (Songs for a New World) Tell Me On a Sunday (Song and Dance) THE CONTEMPORARY SINGING ACTOR MEN S EDITION One Song Glory (Rent) JAZZ/LATIN THE BIG BOOK OF TORCH SONGS I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good What s New BUDGET BOOKS JAZZ STANDARDS Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans? (Slow Swing) CABARET SONGBOOK The Best is Yet to Come (Swing) THE DEFINITIVE JAZZ COLLECTION 2ND EDITION Angel Eyes Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me (Medium Swing) God Bless' The Child I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (Swing) Little Girl Blue (Blues/Ballad) Nice Work If You Can Get It (UpTempo Swing) So Nice (Latin Samba) Willow Weep For Me (Blues ESSENTIAL SONGS JAZZ STANDARDS Easy To Love (You'd Be So Easy To Love) I Can't Get Started With You Cheek to Cheek (Up Tempo Swing) Mood Indigo (Ballad/Blues) Pick Yourself Up (Medium Swing) A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square 48
THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK THE COMPOSERS Sunny Side of the Street (Up Tempo Swing) PAT BENATAR GREATEST HITS Heartbreaker Love is a Battlefield MORE OF THE BEST STANDARDS EVER VOLUME II Perdido (Swing) Steppin' Out With My Baby (Swing) CONTEMPORARY WE WILL ROCK YOU SONGBOOK Somebody to Love Only the Good Die Young FABER 2000-2005 BEST COUNTRY SONGS God Bless the Broken Road (Rascal Flatts) AMANDA MARSHALL Beautiful Goodbye CARRIE UNDERWOOD SOME HEARTS Before He Cheats (Carrie Underwood) OTHER GENRES PIANO WHITE PAGES Hallelujah Midnight Train to Georgia If (Leonard Cohen) (Gladys Knight) (Bread) FAITH HILL- THE HITS Cry THE GUESS WHO SONGBOOK Undun (The Guess Who) QUEENS OF COUNTRY SHEET MUSIC Nothin Better To Do (LeAnn Rimes) MICHAEL BUBLE-MICHAEL BUBLE Sway MICHAEL BUBLE CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE I m Your Man MARVIN GAYE GREATEST HITS Ain t No Mountain High Enough (as performed by) Marvin Gaye THE BEST OF EVA CASSIDY IMP The Dark End of the Street (as performed by) Eva Cassidy SIMPLY THE BEST OF TINA TURNER What s Love Got to Do With It Proud Mary I Can t Stand the Rain JOSS STONE-THE SOUL SESSION The Chokin Kind IMP THE VERY BEST OF SHERYL CROW If It Makes You Happy FIONA APPLE TIDAL Criminal SUPPLEMENTARY PIECE Candidates must be prepared to sing one supplementary piece. This piece need not be from the Syllabus lists, and may be chosen entirely at the discretion of the teacher and student. It may represent a period or style of piece not already included in the examination program, but which holds special interest for the candidate. An unaccompanied folk song may be used. The choice must be within the following guidelines: (a) The equivalent level of difficulty of the piece may be at a higher level, providing it is within the technical and musical grasp of the candidate. (b) Pieces below the equivalent of Level SIX are not acceptable. (c) The piece must be suitable for the candidate s voice and age (d) The piece must be for solo voice (with or without piano accompaniment). Vocal duets are not acceptable. Special approval is not required for the supplementary piece. However, poor suitability of the choice may be reflected in the mark. 49
TECHNICAL EXERCISES Candidates music be prepared to sing any or all of the exercises given below, in the following manner: (a) sung to vowels Ah [a], ay [e], ee [i], oh [o], oo [u] as requested by the examiner. Though the tonic sol-fa names may be used to learn these exercises, candidates may not sing using sol-fa names in the examination. (b) sung without accompaniment. A starting pitch will be given by the examiner. Exercises may be transposed from the keys given below into keys suitable to the candidate s voice range. The examiner may give a different starting pitch for each exercise. (c) expression markings are not given for Level SEVEN and are NOT required for the examination. (d) metronome markings should be regarded as minimum speeds. (e) all exercises must be sung in a single breath unless a breath mark is indicated in the score by a comma. (f) a slur has been used to indicate legato singing. Staccato markings may be used to indicate staccato singing (g) Some simple scat syllables (i.e. du, ba, dn, dwee, ya, la, di, yay) should be used as appropriate. 50
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SIGHT READING Contemporary Idioms Vocal Syllabus - Level SEVEN Candidates are required to perform at sight: (a) a rhythmic exercise and (b) a passage of vocal score as described below. The candidate will be given a brief period to scan the score before beginning to sing. However, candidates are not permitted to hum the melody while scanning. Candidates must perform the rhythm section without counting aloud. It is recommended that the candidates choose a moderate tempo, maintain a steady beat and avoid the unnecessary repetition caused by attempting to correct errors during the performance. Before the candidate attempts to sing the vocal passage, the examiner will play on the piano a I IV- V- I chord progression (with the leading note in the upper part) to establish the key and tonality. No starting note will be given. a) Rhythm b) Vocal Passage To tap, clap or play on one note (at the candidate s choice) a simple rhythm. Length 4 bars Time Signatures 3/4, 4/4 Note Values a variety of values including triplets and ties Rest Values a variety of values To sing at sight a simple unaccompanied melody about equal in difficulty to pieces at Level THREE. Candidates may use either: (a) any vowel or scat syllables or (b) the tonic sol-fa names. Major and minor keys up to and including 3 # s and 3 b s. Length 4-8 bars Beginning any note of the tonic triad IMPROVISATION Candidates will be required to sing with a CD accompaniment, a sixteen measure phrase using the scat syllables identified in the TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS. The candidate will be able to listen once through the track completely before beginning. The passage will include a written eight-measure melody with lyrics and an improvised melody for eight further measures, using the given chords as a guide. Chromatically altered notes may be used. Keys used will be up to 3 # s and 3 b s. The tonic chord will be played on the CD, voiced with the starting note on top. There will then be a one bar count-off. 52
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AURAL TESTS The candidate will be required: (a) at the candidate s choice, to play back or sing back to any vowel, a short melody of 6-8 notes in length, in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 or 6/8 time, based on the first six notes and the lower leading tone of a major or minor key, after the examiner has: i. named the key (up to and including 3 # s and 3 b s) ii. played the four note chord on the tonic in broken form iii. played the melody twice The melody will begin on the tonic note. Only the harmonic form of the minor will be used. Following is the approximate level of difficulty: (b) to identify any of the following intervals after each one has been played by the examiner once in broken form. Above a Note major and minor 2nd major and minor 3rd Perfect 4th Perfect 5th Tri-tone major and minor 6th minor 7th Perfect Octave Below a Note major and minor 3rd Perfect 4th Perfect 5th Tri-tone major and minor 6th Perfect Octave (c) to identify the following chords when played by the examiner in solid form, in closed root position major and minor triads (3 note) augment triads (3 note) dominant 7th chords (4 note) diminished 7th chords (4 note) Aural cont d (d) to state whether a short piece in a jazz style, about 6-8 bars in length, is in a major or minor key and whether the final cadence is one of the following: i. ii V I ii. V IV I iii. I V - VI 54
BACKGROUND INFORMATION Candidates must be prepared to give verbal answers to questions on the four pieces selected for the examination. Candidates must ensure that all teaching notes and other written comments are removed from the score before the examination. The questions will include the following elements: (a) to find and explain all of the signs (including clefs, time signatures, key signatures, accidentals, etc.), articulation markings (legato, staccato, accents, phrase or slur markings, etc.), dynamic and tempo markings, and other musical terms as they may be found in the selected pieces. (b) to be able to describe style elements in each of the genre performed on the examination (swing latin, blues etc) and illustrate these as they apply to the particular piece. (c) to explain the meaning of the title of the piece (where appropriate). (d) to find and play on the piano, any white key within two octaves above or below middle C, as requested by the examiner. Candidates will not be required to read this note from the score. (e) To play on the piano a major triad (in any position) starting on any white or black note within two octaves above or below middle C, as requested by the examiner. The candidate should also be prepared to transform the same triad into a minor triad by lowering the third. Candidates will not be required to read this triad from the score. RESOURCE MATERIAL Further examples and supplementary exercises may be found on the E-Sharp Club at: www.conservatorycanada.ca 55